This invention relates to a motor vehicle including first and second body parts having a resilient water seal supported there between and including a seal component that is compressed between the first and second body parts and a seal support that is connected to one of the first and second body parts and to its method of manufacture.
Body seals for sealing between first and second body parts for motor vehicles have been configured in a manner that has added weight to the vehicle or have been difficult to recycle because they have included metal inserts and the like to provide rigidity that eases the connection of the seal in place within the vehicle assembly.
Examples of sealing strips with metal inserts are shown in U.S. Nos. 4,118,765 and 4,472,469. Such inserts add to the weight of the sealing strips and prevent such sealing strips from meeting requirements for height compression when two relatively moveable vehicle parts are closed to effect a water tight seal there between.
It is also known to provide seal bulbs and base portions that are formed as separate parts and are joined together to form a strip seal assembly. Such seal assemblies also include a metal insert in the base for added rigidity to ease assembly. Moreover, such strip seal assemblies are typically formed from a solid elastomeric material such as cured rubber or EPDM rubber. In such arrangements the metal insert shapes a female configured base that attaches to a post when the seal is assembled within the vehicle.
Additionally, it is known to provide a co-extruded seal for use in sealing window frames wherein a blown foam material is shaped to form a solid low density seal of light weight. An example of such a seal is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,898,760 wherein the blown material is extruded with one or two legs. A low friction cover material is then connected by adhesive to the blown material. In the two leg version, the legs are joined to form a hollow bulb portion that is then covered by the covering material and then the bulb and covering material are connected to a stiffener part for assembling the blow foam seal to a window frame.
While suitable for their intended purpose none of the aforesaid seal assemblies meet recycling and weight reduction objectives that are desired by motor vehicle manufacturers.
According to the present invention these objectives are met in a seal assembly having multi-extrusions having three or more elements configured to meet compression requirements and ease of assembly requirements while reducing weight and providing recycling.
An object of the invention is to provide a process for making such a multi-extrusion assembly wherein the multi-extrusions are formed by more than one die and are joined by in-line fusion welding.
A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary tripartite seal construction that comprises a flexible foamed seal, a base of rigid plastic and an attachment there between made from a compatible plastic material and wherein the foamed seal, base and attachment are formed together in a continuous extrusion process.
A further object of the invention is to provide a unitary quad-partite seal construction that comprises a flexible foamed seal, a base, a skin coat and a tie-bond layer there between made from a compatible plastic material and wherein the foamed seal, base and the bond layer are formed together in a continuous extrusion process.
Yet another object is to provide such a quad-partite seal wherein the tie-bond layer is TPE or TPE with a blowing agent.
A further object is to configure the attachment as a bar.
A still further object is to configure the attachment as a bar having a variable width with the greatest width being at the point of attachment to said flexible foamed seal.
A further object of the invention is to provide such seal constructions wherein the parts are joined by co-extrusion and the base and attachment part are the same materials.
A further object of the invention is to provide such a tripartite seal construction wherein the parts are joined by tri-extrusion and the base and attachment part are made of different materials.
Another object is to provide such seal constructions having a base formed solely from polymeric material and wherein the base has spaced sides with a bight portion co-extruded with said seal portion and including wing members and wherein the spaced sides have inner walls containing an adhesive bead that flows over a support member as a thin bond layer to provide intimate contact and adhesion between the base and the support member.
Yet another object is to provide such seal constructions wherein the spaced sides of the base are biased together to clamp against a support member located there between.
A still further object of the invention is to provide such a seal construction that comprises a flexible foamed seal, a base of rigid plastic and an attachment there between made from a compatible plastic material and wherein the foamed seal, base and attachment are formed together as a unitary piece in a continuous extrusion process and wherein an additional extrusion is applied as a coating material on part or all of the exterior perimeter of the flexible foamed seal.
A feature of the invention is to provide such a seal construction with a flexible foamed seal wherein the soft low density thermoplastic foam includes a water blowing agent.
Another feature is to provide such seal constructions wherein the low density thermoplastic foam is a thermoplastic elastomer having a dry blowing agent.
Still another feature is to provide such seal constructions having low density thermoplastic foam of thermoplastic elastomer having blowing agents such as CFC-11; water injected into a polymer melt; water chemically bonded to a carrier dispersed in a polymer melt; endothermic solids that release N2 or CO2 at processing temperatures; or gases injected into the process stream or combinations of such blowing agents.
Yet another feature of the invention is to provide such seal constructions wherein the soft low density thermoplastic foam is a thermoplastic flexible synthetic polymer such as thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV""s); thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO""s); ionomer resins, such as Surlyn; flexible PVC resins; thermoplastic elastomers (TPE""s); flexible polyurethane polymers and the base is a rigid thermoplastic such as polypropylene; filled polypropylene; talc-filled polypropylene; polyethylene; high density polyethylene; polystyrene; PVC resins; ABS resins; TPO resins; Nylon resins; Metallocene polymers or a flexible thermoplastic material such as thermoplastic vulcanizates (TPV""s); thermoplastic polyolefins (TPO""s); ionomer resins, such as Surlyn; flexible PVC resins; thermoplastic elastomers (TPE""s); flexible polyurethane polymers, the seal construction is characterized by the soft-low-density thermoplastic elastomer foam being a thermoplastic elastomer having a density in the range of 20-60 pounds per cubic foot.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and has spaced walls defining a recess for connection to a support member.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and has spaced walls defining a recess for connection to a support member wherein the base is connected to the seal portion by a tri-extruded layer of joining material formed from thermoplastic elastomer including a foaming agent.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and wherein the base has spaced sides with a bight portion co-extruded with said seal portion and including wing members and wherein the spaced sides have inner walls containing an adhesive bead that flows over a support member as a thin bond layer to provide intimate contact and adhesion between the base and the support member.
A further object of the invention is to provide the seal construction of the preceding object wherein the spaced sides have outwardly flared piloting ends thereon.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and wherein the base has spaced sides with a bight portion co-extruded with said seal portion and including wing members and wherein the spaced sides have inner walls that are biased together to clamp against a support member located there between wherein the base has sides formed laterally of the seal portion.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and wherein the base has spaced sides with a bight portion co-extruded with said seal portion and including wing members and wherein the spaced sides have inner walls that are biased together to clamp against a support member located there between wherein the base has sides formed laterally of the seal portion and one of the sides is formed tangentially of the seal portion.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and wherein the base has spaced sides with a bight portion co-extruded with said seal portion and including wing members and wherein the spaced sides have inner walls that are biased together to clamp against a support member located there between wherein the base has sides formed laterally of the seal portion and wherein one of said sides is formed outboard of said seal portion as one side of an L-shaped extrusion.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and wherein the base has spaced sides with a bight portion co-extruded with said seal portion and including wing members and wherein the spaced sides have inner walls that are biased together to clamp against a support member located there between wherein the base has sides formed parallel to a center vertical axis through the seal portion.
Another object of the invention is to provide a unitary seal construction having a flexible hollow bulb seal portion and an integrally formed base portion wherein the flexible bulb seal is formed of a soft low density thermoplastic foam with a continuous annular cross-section integrally extruded with a base portion formed solely from polymeric material and wherein the base has spaced sides with a bight portion co-extruded with said seal portion and including wing members and wherein the spaced sides have smooth inner walls that are biased together to clamp against a support member located there between wherein the base has sides formed on either side of to a center vertical axis through said seal portion and forming a wedge configured recess for connection to the support.
A further object of the invention is to add a layer of material to the outer perimeter of the hollow bulb as a tri-extrusion of similar or different materials which can either provide a more damage resistant surface coat, or provide a surface coat with slip properties or friction properties to accommodate different application requirements.
A still further object is to provide a process for forming a seal construction of the invention by providing three or more extrusion machines for separately forming foamed polymeric material; a coating material and a rigid or semi-rigid polymer material and simultaneously feeding such materials through one or more dies to form a unitary seal having a flexible cellular bulb; a rigid or semi-rigid base and a cover of coating material.
A further object is to provide a process for forming a seal construction of the invention by providing one or more dies and extruding a foamed polymeric material and coating material in one die to form a seal bulb with a surface coat and extruding a rigid or semi-rigid polymeric material in another die to form a base and thereafter fusion welding the seal bulb to the base.
These and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become more apparent from the following specification when taken with the accompanying drawings wherein: